3 grave mistakes the Braves cannot afford to repeat in NLDS

The Atlanta Braves won Game 2 against the Phillies thanks to some late-game heroics by Austin Riley and Michael Harris II. It was Riley who hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and then Harris II who made a series-saving catch on a Nick Castellanos line drive to center field. It was then Riley who helped double off Bryce Harper at first base, thus ending the Phillies comeback attempt.

While Braves fans are rightly soaking in a victory Tuesday, they must also look ahead to Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. A great challenge is looming, as Philadelphia has capable pitching depth and the crowd behind them. While Atlanta was able to avoid complete disaster, it doesn't change the fact that they were just a few outs away from facing an 0-2 deficit heading on the road.

Braves cannot afford to fall behind early

Atlanta's starting pitching needs to be a little better at the beginning of games. Spencer Strider and Max Fried, while two of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball, handed over the ball with the Braves down on the scoreboard. That is not all about the pitching woes, of course. Strider had one of the best starts of the playoffs so far, he just failed to get any run support. Fried, meanwhile, wasn't as lucky -- the Phillies got the best of him.

Either way, if the Braves fall behind in Philadelphia, a comeback will be tough to come by.

The Braves engineered a comeback for the ages in Game 2, with two plays that will go down in Atlanta postseason lore. The thought that they can rely on such things again in this series is a fallacy.